The Falling Ruins

Expected themes: Mysterious ruins, a strange story of a scholar from the WFH (Empire of Friends of Wyrms), blocks of stone falling from the sky, the meeting with Elemenoria.

On the road to the barbarian worlds

Our heroes continue to advance toward the mountains and have left the woods of the Tarsh plain. Still on their guard and taking every precaution, they begin to climb the foothills through a fir forest. The temperature drops drastically and the winds gain in violence. They have left the comfortable space of the Empire, which had managed to enslave the climate. They are now truly on the road to the barbarian worlds.

The firs become increasingly rare, giving way to a rocky stone trail leading toward a pass. Suddenly, strange ruined structures appear on the horizon.

Ikarnos (having inquired beforehand): "My companions, there are the Falling Ruins!"

Hanya: "It must have been gigantic and magnificent..."

Ikarnos: "The Empire of Friends of Wyrms had built one of its cities here... before the arrival of the Dragons."

Peek: "Dragons? There are Dragons here???"

Jaridan (laughing nervously): "Let's hope not! More seriously, nobody mentioned them to me at the market in Bagnot. The pass is used by travelers. If there were such a danger, everyone would talk about it, right? At least, I hope so..."

Nobody is truly reassured. They enter the city at a walk. The builders of the WFH thought big. Our heroes venture deeper into this immense and haunted place, made of illogical constructions: wide streets leading to dead ends, paths going in circles. All urban logic seems to have deserted the place, which deeply disturbs Ikarnos. Peek, for her part, curses these piles of stone.

Suddenly, a block of several tons crashes right in front of them, followed by a rain of rocks!

🎲 Obstacle: Falling rocks of the scale

• Conflict:
  • Dying Moon: weakened lunar power
  • Surprise (1), Immense (1)
  • Antelope (1), Safe route (1)
• Result 2 vs 2: Defeat at -1.

Peek: "Watch out, rocks!!!" she screams, abruptly stopping her mount. Our four heroes scan the sky. The rocks fall from nowhere.

Hanya: "They must be eagles... Look for flying monsters, take cover and bring them down!" But the sky is desperately empty of enemies.

🎲 Second volley:

• Conflict:
  • Dying Moon: weakened lunar power
  • Falling rocks (1), metal rivets (1)
  • Trying to take shelter (1) Result 2 vs 1: Defeat at -1.

The group realizes that the chaotic layout of the city is not only due to the eccentricity of its builders, but also to these deadly downpours.

Peek: "I see nothing in the air. Who is attacking us??"

Jaridan: "What if we tried to advance to escape the impact zone?"

Ikarnos: "Let's go!!!"

🎲 The breakout:

• Conflict:
  • Dying Moon: weakened lunar power
  • Rocks (1), increasingly intense (1)
  • Each hero uses an asset (Mastery, Movement, or Antelope) and benefits from a lull (1). Results of the 2 vs 2: Success

Taking advantage of a brief lull, Ikarnos keeps his composure, Hanya and Jaridan slip through with agility, and Peek launches her antelope through the debris. After a frantic 200-meter run, they reach an elevated district. Stupefied, they watch the stones continue to crash exactly where they just left. Without trying to understand this marvel, Ikarnos orders to move away as quickly as possible to find the pass.

The witch of the Ruins

Night falls. In the distance, Peek-ee-Peek spots a wisp of smoke. Desperate from going in circles in this ascending maze, they approach it with caution. Around a mountain-side alley, they discover an old woman and a young girl sitting near a fire.

As they try to hide, the old woman speaks: "Approach, Mortals, do not be afraid. You came for this. Come share my meager meal, even though I sense that earthly nourishment is not what you seek."

Jaridan (whispering): "Let's stay on guard."

Ikarnos: "Who are you, old woman?"

The old woman (toothless smile): "I am known as Elemenoria. But a name is only a name; what matters is what one makes of it and what it means to those who hear it."

Ikarnos: "You speak in riddles. Are you a lunatic?"

Elemenoria: "Light and shadow are two sides of the same coin, but that coin is yours. Mine is called rather reality and dream."

Peek-ee-Peek: "I don't like this woman, we should leave."

Hanya: "That is not for you to decide."

In a heavy silence, the heroes share the roasted meat offered by the woman. They notice that the girl, about ten years old, has the vacant gaze of the blind.

Elemenoria breaks the silence: "Do you know why this place is so special? Have you ever seen a dragon? When a true dragon dreams, it becomes reality, and it is this reality that mortals perceive. Long ago, men believed they could mingle with them. They created an Empire. One of them came here, and I was his servant. His dream was to build the tallest ladder in the world to navigate between the domain of the Gods and that of men. But where there is dreaming, there is waking... The Dragons awoke. The ladder was destroyed, and its pieces still fall and always will. That is what reality is!"

Jaridan: "But how old are you? The Empire disappeared 500 years ago!"

Elemenoria: "Mortals die, but power is passed on. Do you have a dream, merchant? Have no fear, the place is safe. I can grant one wish for each of you. A final wish for the long road that awaits us all, in a sense," she said with a strange gleam in her eye.

She extends her hand. A globe of light envelops her and the girl.

The wishes of destiny

Hanya the ambitious enters first. Inside, silence is absolute.

Hanya: "I believe you are nothing but a joke, you crazy old woman. Prove me otherwise. I would dream, for example, of being fast enough that no projectile could reach me." Proud of her impossible wish, she smiles.

The old woman replies to her: "So be it, but know that every wish has a price. Each time a projectile would have hit you, yes, you will avoid it, but somewhere another will be struck!"

Hanya left the luminous globe a bit puzzled.

Jaridan asks Hanya who replies: "just go see for yourself." So Jaridan is the next to enter the silent globe.

Jaridan: "I dream that in these troubled times, yesterday's enemies become friends at best or at least allies. I think it is impossible but I have always dreamed of it and that is why I am with these Lunars."

The old woman: "What a noble dream, Jaridan. There exists a time and place where this dream will come true, but if you wish to reach it, you will have to renounce your family and never see them again! Are you willing to do that? Are they willing to do that?"

And Jaridan comes out, devastated by what he just heard. Next is Ikarnos.

The woman: "The time is no longer for words but for revelations. You, tell me what you desire!"

Ikarnos: "I would wish to obtain the power of Dragons then," he said, hoping thus to put on the Empire's side a terrible power to fight its enemies.

The woman smiles: "I expected as much. So be it. The Dragons are waiting anyway to intervene. Hidden, patiently, infinitely, they observe you, and you will be able to speak to them in due time. But.. hahaha.. what is funny is that when that happens, you will have switched sides!"

Ikarnos: "Curse it, what are you saying??"

The woman: "I say nothing, I reveal your destiny."

And so Ikarnos exits as troubled as his three companions.

Peek-ee-Peek finally enters the globe.

She sits down and asks: "Are you made of flesh and bone, or are you a spirit?"

The old woman squints: "We are daughters of destiny, and have you ever seen a blind spirit?"

Suddenly, Peek grips her lance. "Die, Witch!!!"

🎲 Peek's attack against Elemenoria

• Conflict:
  • Lance, surprise, kill the enemy
  • Clairvoyant
• Result 3 vs 1: Feat

The lance pierces Elemenoria's heart, who tries to whisper a final curse.

Peek drives the blade in with rage: "May your death be the swiftest!"

The globe dissipates instantly. The witch has disappeared. Only the blind little girl remains who jumps up and rushes into a crevice in the wall.

🎲 Stop the girl

• Conflict:
  • Warrior, blind little girl
  • Agile, the others shout "No!"
• Result 2 vs 2: Failure

The others throw themselves on Peek to restrain her.

Jaridan: "Fool! What have you done? The opening is too small, she will warn others. We must flee!"

Ikarnos: "Saddle up. But tonight, Peek, you will have to explain yourself!"

The Dragon Pass and the Gazzams' fury

The heroes gallop down the slopes in darkness, fleeing the crime scene. At dawn, they reach the foothills of the Dragon Pass. To the south, thick mist; to the north, hills; before them, the kingdom of Sartar.

The murder of a stranger prevents Peek from killing during a full moon (constraint of the protective spirit).

The heroes advance, having descended for hours at a steady but cautious pace given the darkness and the steep slope. At dawn, they discover the new geography before them. It is an opportunity to rest a bit after an anxious flight and especially an opportunity for Ikarnos to question the nomad.

Ikarnos: "What have you done, fool! You murdered her coldly."

Jaridan: "Back home, do you allow yourselves to kill those with whom you share bread?"

Hanya: "I have always said it, barbarians can be civilized but nomads are still primitives that must be subdued or eliminated."

Peek spits: "You are the fools.. I saw you come back from your meeting, you all looked different. Oh yes, they grant wishes. Haha.. what did she promise you? Come on, tell me and I will tell you why I killed her and then you will thank me," says the nomad without being shaken.

Hanya: "no more arrow will be able to reach me."

Jaridan: "peace will be possible between yesterday's enemies."

Ikarnos: "I could master the powers of Dragons."

Peek: "Hahaha.. well then! Either she is a madwoman and her death will be regretted by no one, or she tells the truth and I have thus prevented another from coming with the wish to destroy the Goddess. That is why I killed her. You know everything.. you only think of your glory without seeing the danger this woman represented."

Then she falls into silence. Ikarnos, Hanya, and Jaridan begin to deliberate. Suddenly an arrow is launched at Hanya!! It is Peek.

🎲 Peek's arrow

• Conflict:
  • Very good archer (2), surprise (1)
  • Armor (1).
• Result 3 vs 1: Feat.

The shot is perfect but something strange happens, at the last moment Hanya moves almost imperceptibly and the arrow grazes her and continues on its way. A groan is heard further on and the three heads turn toward Peek then toward the trees that line the mountain foothills. The trees begin to move. And suddenly a monstrous head appears: a gazzam!

But that is not all, other monstrosities appear. Ancient dragon-like creatures: there are about a dozen and their piercing cries burst the heroes' ears.

Ikarnos: "Quick, to the mounts, let's flee, they are too big and too numerous!"

🎲 The Flight

• Conflict:
  • Horse, using the terrain, Hanya's safe route (3)
  • Gazzams' charge, fury, cries (3).
• Result 3 vs 3: Victory +1

The heroes decide to flee through a route that goes up through the mountains, hoping the too-large monsters will not be able to follow. Looking back, they see a small dead dinosaur with Peek's arrow in its eye. That explains their fury. Fortunately, they manage to escape but it was close, and now they must continue along a promontory in single file, watching their mounts' steps.

Peek: "the witch seems to have told the truth. I just wanted to verify. You can once again thank me."

Hanya: "Ikarnos, let us treat this primitive as she deserves and chain her. Death would be too noble for her."

Ikarnos: "Enough. We must advance and we will talk about all of this tonight at the bivouac."

And so our heroes cannot descend to the hills of the Dragon Pass and must continue along the mountains to the North in an icy silence.

Shortly before nightfall, the heroes stop to make camp. Tension is high. The meal is meager as well since they must make do with their reserves.

Jaridan: "if Peek tells the truth, the witch indeed granted our wishes."

Peek: "It seems so. You should thank me Hanya, no?"

Hanya: "so Ikarnos can speak to Dragons? Yet some kind of Dragons attacked us!"

Ikarnos: "The Witch predicted I could one day speak to them but did not say when."

Jaridan: "like me, the peace I long for will only come if I sacrifice my family for it. Is that truly worth it?"

Peek: "You are bound to this witch. And apparently her death did not undo the wishes. So do not hold me responsible for everything that happens. On that note, good night. I will take the last watch."

Ikarnos: "We must stay united and tomorrow we will talk about the mission. We must not act as you do Peek. We are observers. We must find a plausible cover to cross these lands and reach Prax. We have the night to think."

Now that night, Peek's sleep was restless. Indeed, the Kill the Stranger spirit imposes that she not kill during a moon cycle, and by killing the young dinosaur, she broke the bond. The spirit visits her and embraces her soul. Peek is drenched in sweat and upon waking, the spirit is gone, it has regained its freedom.

At dawn, Ikarnos studies the maps. They could not descend south as he had hoped. He feels a slight pang in his heart because he would have liked to approach the Eye of the Dragon, a draconic city that might have revealed a bit more of his destiny, but they must pass north toward Dwarf Mine. The Lunars are not on bad terms with the people of Mostal but are not allies either. Yet the Empire has burned Elven forests, they could be grateful but these strange creatures seem interested in something else, perhaps it is an opportunity to learn a little more. Then they will need to reach the Aldachur road and travel in Orlanthi territory. They should learn more about the Vantatos and Tovtaros tribes to know whether to approach Aldachur from the south or the north. They will then be on the road to Pavis heading to Prax. For now, our heroes must therefore continue and negotiate passage through Dwarf Mine.